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Longing for God

A psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah.[a]

63 O God, you are my God;
I will seek you diligently.
My soul thirsts for you; my flesh longs for you
as in a dry and weary land without water.
Thus I have seen you in the sanctuary,
beholding your strength and glory.
Because your loyal love is better than life,
my lips will praise you.
So I will bless you while I live.
I will lift up my hands[b] in your name.
My soul will be satisfied as with the best and richest food,
and with joyful lips my mouth will praise.
When I remember you on my bed,
I meditate on you in the night watches.
Because you have been my help,
therefore[c] in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy.
My soul clings to[d] you;
your right hand upholds me.
But as for them who seek my life for ruin,
they will go into the depths of the earth.
10 They who would deliver him to the sword[e]
will become a portion for jackals.
11 However, the king will rejoice in God.
Everyone who swears an oath by him will boast,
because the mouth of the liars will be stopped.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 63:1 The Hebrew Bible counts the superscription as the first verse of the psalm; the English verse number is reduced by one
  2. Psalm 63:4 Hebrew “palms”
  3. Psalm 63:7 Hebrew “and”
  4. Psalm 63:8 Or “follows hard after”
  5. Psalm 63:10 Literally “pour him out to the hands of the sword”

Psalm 63

Comfort and Assurance in God’s Presence

A Psalm of David, when he was in the Wilderness of Judah.

O God, you are my God; I seek you;
    my soul thirsts for you;
my flesh faints for you,
    as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.(A)
So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary,
    beholding your power and glory.(B)
Because your steadfast love is better than life,
    my lips will praise you.(C)
So I will bless you as long as I live;
    I will lift up my hands and call on your name.(D)

My soul is satisfied as with a rich feast,[a]
    and my mouth praises you with joyful lips(E)
when I think of you on my bed
    and meditate on you in the watches of the night,(F)
for you have been my help,
    and in the shadow of your wings I sing for joy.(G)
My soul clings to you;
    your right hand upholds me.(H)

But those who seek to destroy my life
    shall go down into the depths of the earth;(I)
10 they shall be given over to the power of the sword;
    they shall be prey for jackals.
11 But the king shall rejoice in God;
    all who swear by him shall exult,
    for the mouths of liars will be stopped.(J)

Footnotes

  1. 63.5 Heb with fat and fatness

13 So David and his men got up, about six hundred men, and went out from Keilah and wandered wherever they could go. When it was told to Saul that David had escaped from Keilah, he stopped his pursuit.[a]

David Eludes Saul’s Pursuit

14 David remained in the wilderness, in the strongholds, and in the hill country in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him continually,[b] but God did not give him into his hand.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 23:13 Literally “he ceased to go out”
  2. 1 Samuel 23:14 Literally “all the days”

13 Then David and his men, who were about six hundred, set out and left Keilah; they wandered wherever they could go. When Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah, he gave up the expedition.(A) 14 David remained in the strongholds in the wilderness, in the hill country of the wilderness of Ziph. Saul sought him every day, but the Lord[a] did not give him into his hand.(B)

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Footnotes

  1. 23.14 Q ms Gk: MT God